The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1887-01-05
THE FARM BUDGET.
Farmers Diaries in Wintsr-Training Trick
Horses Cultivating Wheat
n Word OF CautiOn-Innaence of Soil on
StOck-First Case of PIeurO-PnoumOnia
Household Hints-Farm Notes.
Farmers Dairies in Winter.

Practical Farmer
1t is more convenient for most small farm
ers TO have the largest flow of milk during
the season when cows can get fresh grass in
the pasture. The great majority of farmers
cows drop their calves in the spring, and are
so nearly dry the following winter as TO give
only milk enough for the family supply.
Yet IL IS during the winter season, when the
milk yield is smallest, and probably because
of this fact, that butter and all dairy prod
ucts bring the highest prices. Fer those who
can do so conveniently il is a good plan to
have part of thei- dairy drop calves IN the
fall, and continue butter-making during the
winter.
Many suppose il is not possible to make
the best butter In winter. With hay and
stalks as the chief food of cows it is not pos
sible. In all small diaries it is difficult, but
the extra care required, as always the case,
is well repaid. The thing that many can do
making fair butter from fresh COWS giving
plenty OF milk on June grass-is necessarily
poorly paid. To make as good butter, and
have il fresh in the middle of winter, is much
more remuneratlye. There viii not be so
much of it, Tor with the Varmest quarters
and green food there will be some shTinkage
in milk. And this will not be entirely Offset
by its superior richness in the material for
butter-mskiDg.
Where only one or two COWS are kept in
winter, especially If nearly dry and fed on
hay, cream aceumulates slowly, and is liable
TO spoil before il can be churned. The bitter
taste sometimes found In winter butter may
be the result of rsg-weed or other weeds in
the hay. CoTnstalks are better feed for COWS
than the best OF hay. Glover III nUtritive
value is richer than the grasses but sven
when green it is not good for butter and
milk. Turn herd OF COWS into the best red
clover pasture, and they will eat the natural
grasses growing in fence corners close to the
ground before they viii touch the clover.
When forced to eat the green clover heritage,
both the yield and quality of milk will De
the fine second growth clover is much better
than the larger first cutting.
Corn in any shape is excellent feed for
mich COWS, especially where butter is the
object. The oil, sugar and starch it COO
talns are all carbOnaceous compounds, aud
chemically identical with butter. A ration
of corn-meal twice a day, with other feed,
will make the milk much richer, and with
most cows will make the butter of better
color. Winter butter at its best, is apt TO be
too white. II is not fraud on consumers to
use colorlng matter on wellmaGe, sweet
winter butter. The improvement in appear
ance makes the butter really more palatable.
Good farmers use artificial coloring in winter
butter when they only make what they use
on their own tables. If properly made,
winter butter is as good as the best grass but
ter. There is no fraud IN making it appear
as good, providing it is not sold for what it is
not.
The orange carrot is sometimes used for
cOloring butter by farmers. but il is inferior
to the artificial butter cOlOrs, which are
cheap enough and less difficult to manage.
The Juice of the carrot impairs the keeping
quality Of the butter, which other col0ring
matter does not If the carrot is grated up
and mixed with cream before churning. to
give the butter higher color, the consumer
should know the fact. Such butter
will be apt to turn rancid sooner than that
on which no coloring matter was used. The
true way to use carrots for cOlOring winter
butter Is to feed them to COWS. Carrots are
more easily grown than most farmers sup
i, pose. Their general cultivation and use will
hske winter butter much better in quality.
Inc advantage of ensilage for cows is more
ln proouclA0 milk than butter. This method
OF preserving seen heritage in a succulent
state undoubtedly aakes large quantity OF
mhA, out unless IL y supplemented with
cOTn-meal or grain the mil Is not nraDortion-
ally rich. It is yet mOoted qaostion with
practical farmers whether for making winter
butter 8 field of corn, ripened with the grain
and stalks well secured dry, is not equal 70
the same corn cut before maturity and pre-
served IN the silo. For the latter method.
however, the corn is sown more thickly and
yields much greater weight OF feed per acre,
and this is, perhaps, the greatest advantage
OF the ensilage system of fePding.
Cows that are being drisd Of, aud that are
TO be turned over TO the butcher in the
spring, viii often psya considerable portion
OF their keep in their yield of milk Fatten-
ing cows, especially when fed on cOr1-neal,
give extra rich milk, and il will psy to turn
it into bntter while enough is given to make
a cburning of cream per week. But the
milking should be stopped at least two or
three months before the fattening process is
complied.